Does Wearing A Red Shirt Mean You're More Interested In Sex?

Spot a lady in red when you’re out with your man? We’d tell you to watch out—but you’re probably feeling leery already.

Compared to those donning green or white, women who wear red shirts are seen by other women as being more interested in sex, says a new study published in the Personality and Psychology Bulletin. And if the other women are in committed relationships, the presence of crimson-clad women can cause them to be more protective of their partners.

OK, you might be rolling your eyes right now. It would take way more to shake your confidence than something as silly as the color of someone’s clothes...right? Except, previous studies have shown that women really do wear more red when they’re feeling frisky. And, yep, men totally pick up on it: Science says whether it’s a slinky red dress or a simple swipe of scarlet lipstick, guys view gals in red as more desirable, and are more likely to make an approach.

What gives? “Red seems to rev us up,” says Sally Augustin, PhD, founder of Design with Science, a design firm that uses environmental psychology to create spaces with specific moods. The basis for that could be biological: Blushing on the face and chest is a normal response to feeling sexually excited. A handful of studies have even found that a woman’s skin becomes slightly redder during the middle of her cycle, when she’s most fertile.

The, er, red-citement could be a leftover response from our cave-dwelling days, too. “In our evolutionary past, the energy from seeing red would’ve indicated that someone was injured or might’ve shown that we were making some sort of progress against an enemy, and that would’ve given us a little jolt,” Augustin says. Or, the hue might remind our primal selves of fire, which our ancestors likely took as a sign of safety, companionship, and even a hot meal.

Still, knowledge is power, right? And if you find yourself feeling oddly tense towards a girlfriend whom you normally adore, knowing that her outfit could be an unconscious emotional trigger could help you avoid wracking your brain for other explanations. (Is she hiding something? Lying to me?) Or better yet, just wear your own sanguine ensemble. If this research it right, perhaps you’ll feel confident enough not to give a hoot about what anyone else is wearing.